The present invention relates to a process for preparing 6-methylene steroids.
Adding a methyl group in the 6-position of steroids frequently evokes a considerable increase in activity, notably for progestogens and corticoids. Thus, many efforts have been made in the past to provide methods for introducing such methyl groups into the 6-position with maximum simplicity, e.g., via added 6-methylene groups. Unfortunately, the conventional methods for introducing 6-methylene groups in steroids are all very expensive and require several stages.